Fluid control for pneumatic oil lifts



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. A. zUBLlN FLUID CONTROL FOR PNEUMATIC OIL LIFIS Filedreb. s, 195o Nov. 15, 1932.

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J. A. zuBLlN FLUID CONTROL FOR lPNEUMATIC OIL LIFTS Filed Feb. s. 195ol Nov. l5, 1932. J. A. zUBLlN FLUID CONTROL FOR PNEUMATIC OIL LIFTS Filed Feb. 5, 1950 5 Sheets-'Sheet 5 Inventor,-

/Yorney mama Nav. is, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFic :ons A. zUBLIN, or Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA Application mea February s, 1930. serial No. 425,399.

My invention relates to apparatus for producing oil from wells by use of compressed' gas or compressed air, and relates particularly to a device for employing the natural gas found with oil in underground formations for lifting the oil to the surface of the ground.

The raising of oil from underground deosits by means of gas or air requires the feeding into the ow pipe or production pipe of a correct amount of liquid corresponding to the available amount and pressure of gas or air whichis to be used for lifting purposes. Owin to the above requisite conditions, the use o? gas or air in the lifting of oil from wells has proven successful only in a relatively fewinstances and where conditions were exactly right for the useof gas or air lift equipment. The most diilicult operation relative to this type of oil producing equipment consists in putting a pneumatic oil lift tor work or getting it started.

Owing to the fact that the level of oil inthe well will recede during the pumping operation, it is lnecessary to submerge the intake of the production pipe a considerable distance below the normal fluid level of the well inv order that 'as the oil level recedes it will not drop below a desired osition relative to the intake of the pro uction pipe. Therefore, the lifting of the oil must be started against a relatively high head of oil which operates against the gaseous medium andcan only be overcome so as to start the air lift action by an excessive gas or air pressure. The specific weight of a vertical oil column of ten feet is roughly equal tove ounds per square inch. Three hundred pounds gas pressure, therefore, would be capable of supporting a column of oil having a height of about six hundred feet. It is ditiicult and vuneconomical to compress air or gas articially to more than approximately live hundred pounds, and it is desirable, therefore, that a pneumatic fluid lift should operate at pressuresnot exceeding this amount. But a pressure of five hundred pounds would only force `oil up'through a pipe a'distance of approximately one thousand feet, and unless air or gas can be mixed with the oil, a much greater pressure will be required to start the lift. My

invention has for an object to provide a pneumatic lift which may be started at a pressure no higher than the operating pressure, thereby eliminating the necessity of rocking a lift pipe or pumping gas or air to an extremely high pressure in order to start operation of the pneumatic lift.

My invention has for an object to provide a pneumatic lift in which the oil may be fed to the flowing stream of air at a. normal rate and in an amount proportionate to the lifting capacity of such stream of air.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mixing chamber which may be submerged below the level of a body of oil in a well and having valve means capable of being controlled from the surface of the ground and for permitting a iiow of oil into the mixing .chamber proportionate to the lifting characteristics of the pneumatic medium. This valve may be fully closed so as to prevent entry of oil into the mixing chambertherefore insuring that the production or lift pipe cannot be submerged by oil during the periods of rest or non-production and making it'possible to start the pneumatic lift equipment in operation at any desired time.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pneumatic lift device of the above character which is controllable by raising or lowering the production pipe through a relatively short distance, this being made possible by the employment of my submerged mixing` chamber.

A principal feature of my invention consists in submerging a chamber in a body of oil at the bottom of a well, this chamber having valve means for positively preventing entry of oil thereinto when the pump.l is not in operation, therefore preventing the building up of a head of oil in the production or flow pipe of the pumping system, which head of oil would act to resist starting of the pumping operation.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be made evident throughout the following part of the specification.

Referring to the drawings which are for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. 1 is an elevational cross section showsented by the line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

. eration of a device of this character.

end. Within this well casing I ing a well with a preferred embodiment of my invention therein. y

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of a valve operating mechanism b which the oil inlet valve of the pneumatic li maybe controlled by an operator at the surface of the ground.

Fig. 3 is a section on a plane represented by the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fi 4 is a section on a plane represented by the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. l.,

Fi 5 is a vertical cross sectional view showing an alternative form of equipment embodyin the invention.

Fi 6 is a vertical cross sectional view' showing a form of my invention in which a pipe having a flow controlling mechanism is suspended in a well and a central solid member is employed to control the action of the flow controlling mechanism.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross section on a plane represented bythe line 7-7 of Fig. 6.,

Fig. 8 is a cross section on a plane repre- Fig. 9 is a fragments?, vertical cross section showing a form o my new pumping mechanism, such as that disclosed in Fi 1, equipped with an injector and with a ec valve for preventing reaction of a pressure of the lifting gas against the body of oil within the well. ,Y t

In the preferred embodiment of 'my invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, 10 indicates a well casing having a casing head 11 including a casing head fitting 12 at its upper end and a well screen or perforated liner 13 at its lower suspend a pneumatic delivery pipe 14 for the delive of s or air to the mixing chamber 15 whi is ormed by the interior of the lower extremity of the pipe 14, it being understoodthat the use of the term gas includes anygaseous substance which maylbe employedin the op- At the lower end of the pipe14 an oil inlet valve 16 is secured, this oil inlet valve including a Banged ittin 17 having a horizontal web 18 equipped wi an opening 19. Extending 'downwardly from the fitting 17 is a cylinder.'

21 having staggered inlet openings 20 therein and receiving a piston-like closure member 22 which is held #prmally in raised osition by a spring 23. e upper end o the closure -member 22 carries a ball'24 adapted to seat in the opening 19 so as to prevent passage of oil h upwardly through the opening19 into the mixing chamber 15A when the member 22 is in fully raised position. The lower end of the cylinder may be closed by a cap 25 which supports the lower end of the spring 23. Suspended within the pipe 14 is` a prpductlon pipe 27consisting of consecutive )omts of pi 28 which extend downwardly from a poiosh pipe 29 which extends through a packing device 30 forming a part of the casing In the use of my device, the pneumatic or gas p ipe 14, with the member 16 ,assembled therewith, is lowered into' the welfcs'ing 10 to such position that the lower end of the pipe 14, constituting what I have termed the mixing chamber, is -well "submerged below the level 35 of oil in thewell, it being understood that this level of oil may be a considerable distance above the bottom of thewell; but as the oil is withdrawn from the well during production at a greater rate'of iiow than the oil mi ht ii'ow into the' well from the oil.

sands t level may recede considerably dui',-i ing' the production period.- Owing to this drop in level of the oil in a well during pro-'- duction, itis necessaryto submerge thelower end of a pump tubing or'air lift tubingrji-In my invention the pipe ,14 provides a.; sub1 merged chamber 15 at a selected distance bef low the level of a body ofoilin thewell,-.in to which chamber a controlled .1ow 0.f.Qlmayg be permitted to enter by manipulationf the valve device 16 in the manner to be hereinafter deedi 1 A'f r t e p acing' o thepipe -14 the:4 s lift or production pipe 27 is lowerlidthegri-jwithin in substantially the manner-shown in. Fig. 1, by means of hoisting equipineiit37` in-. dicated in Fig. 2, this hoisting means having a hook or other engager 38 .adapted .toen age an eye-fitting 39 extending upwardly om an outlet fitting 40 which is 'secured-to the upper end ofthepolish tubef29. -A The produc-v tion pipe 27 is Alowered to such position. that' the lower end of the stem 33 will be -se -aratjed rest of the casing head 11-sof as to seal aroundA the polish pipe 29 and to thereb 1 prevent leakage of gas upwardly around t polish Through external piping 42 havinga conftrol valve 43 therein, gasunder pressureis permitted to flow from the annular space 44 within the well casing 1 0 into the. annular space 45 within the gaspipe 14, this gas flow-1 ing down through the pipe 14 into the cham-. bei: 15 and entering the lower end of the production pipe 27 throulh. the hole or holes'34, from whence the gas en'flows u wardly at a relatively high rate ofv speedt .oughtheproduction pi 'theblock and tackle of the -hoisting equip.

ment 37 and a drum-47 having a-worm and By use of af control v gear rotating means"48 the operator may.V lower the productionY pipe 27 so as to cause.

the valve operating stem 33 to engage the closure ball 24 and to force the ball 24 of the piston valve 22 downwardly, opening one or more of the inlet ports 20 1n the cylinder 21 5 and allowing oil to flow from the well into the lower end o the mixing chamber 15. As the level of oil rises within the chamber 15, it will reach the inlet openings 34 of the production pipe 27, whereat it will be mixed with the iiow gas which is entering the production pipe 27 through the openings 34 and will be carried in divided form to the outlet fitting 40, from whence it passes through a valve or flow bean device 49 into a flexible conduit 50 which extends to a member or device 51 at which the proportionate amount of oil ilowingmay be observed, the member 51 preferably having a sight glass 52 through'which the mixture of gas and oil from the Well may be noted. It will be perceived that by raising and lowering the production pipe 27, the maximum amount of oil which the flow ofgas through the production pipe is capable of lifting may be permitted to flow into the mixing chamber or submerged chamber 15 of the device. The device, therefore, makes it possible to obtain a maximum production of oil for any amount of gas which may be flowing from the well, and consequently keeps if the wastage of gas at a minimum. Inversely,`

the amount of gas used may be-proportioned' in accordance with the amount of oil available in the well. Also, the device may be readily stopped and started Without necessity of in-f- 35 creasing the pressure of the lifting gas or of pulling the gas lift piping up to a point corresonding with the level of oil in the well, for

in shutting down the device the production pipe 27 is lifted so as Vto permit closing of the 43 opening 19 by the ball 24whereby to prevent further entry of oil into the submerged cham- ^ber 15. \After closing the oil inlet opening 19, the circulation of lthe gas is continued for a sufficient periodof time to empty the oil [-5. production system which includes the production piping 28, thereby preventingan accumulation or head of oil within the lower end of the g'as delivery piping 14. All that is necessary, then, to again start production is to Y' 9 open the flow valve or bean indicated at 49 soas to permit gas to flow upwardly through the production pipe 27 and to then lower the productionpipe so as to open the valve of the r -member 16 and permit entry of the required amount of oil into the submerged chamber 15. This device is especially suitable for wells which pump olf in a few hours of production so thatv they then must be shut dow-nin order to llow 011 to again accumulate within the we A gas liftdevice of my invention may be stopped and started periodically to suit the oil producing capacity of the individual well. Where the gas produced by thewell is not sufhcient for gas lift purposes, an auxiliary supply may be delivered under pressure into the upper end of the gas pipe 14, the pressure of this gas in no way holding back the entry of oil into the well, for the reason that the gas is confined to the interior of the pipe I4.

In Fig. 5 I show an alternative form of my invention in which the u per portion of the gas pipe w14 is omitted. In the invention. the production pipe is euipped with a core 61 near its lower end a apted to engage the perforated cap 62 through which it extends. The cap 62 is secured tothe upper end of a. pipe 63 which forms a submersible chamber 65. On the lower end of the pipe 63 a valve device 16 is secured, this valve device being substantially identical with the valve device shown in Fig. 1 but having a supporting leg 66 extending downwardly therefrom which consists of a this form of y piece of pipe adapted to enga-ge the bottom 67 of a well 68. The production pipe 60 is equipped with a valve operating stem 33 and has inlet openings 34 near the lower end thereof. The pipe 63 is made of such length that gas inlet openings near the upper end thereof Will be above the maximum oil level 71 when the leg 66 is in engagement with the bottom of the Well', thus submerging the chamber 65 in the body of oil in the Well but' maintaining the gas inlet 70 in a position above the oil level 71. In installation of the gas lift device, the 'pipe 63, with its associated parts 16 and 66, is suspended on the productionV pipe 60 substantially as shown. When the bottom 67 of the well is reached, the pipe 63 is held stationary so that the productlon pipe 60 may be lowered relative thereto to cause the operating stem 33 to engage the valve ball 24 and force the piston valve 22 downwardly Y to permit oil in correct amount to enter the lower end of the submerged chamber 65, this oil mixing with the iow of gas from the well' as such gas enters the inlet opening 34 of the production pipe 60. In this form of the inl vention, guide vanes 74 may be` employed at the lower end of the production pipe' 60 to 1hold it axially aligned with the inlet opening 19. his form of the invention is substantially the same, as that shown in Fig. 1 but with the exception that the gas pipe 63 rests on the bottom of the well, whereas the gas pipe 14 is suspended from the casing head 11. With this exception, the devices are identical and are uallyVA suitable for use in wells producing su cient gas under pressure for operation of the gas Where additional gas must besuppled from outside, the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1 is preferable.

The control of the oil inlet valve may be very closely regulated by 'vertical movement of the production pipe 27, for it will be perceived that this production pi is suspended and that the efectivelen'gth t ereof is determined principally by the elongation therein. The ralsing and lowering of the production pipe does not, therefore, change the length of the production p'pe, as the strains therein l are substantiallyconstant. Y

j In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 6,7, and A8, a single pipe structure 80'is suspended within a well caslng 81, this single pipe structure serving as a means for sup- 1Q porting a control valve mechanismA 82 near conveniently termed a gas inlet pipe 87 having gas inlet openings 88 near the upper end thereof positioned4 above the maximum upper level 89 of the body of oil 90 which has 'entered the well or well casing 81 through a liner or well screen 91 at the lower end thereof. On the lower end of the gas delivery pipe 87 is=an oil iow controlling device 16' 80H of the character disclosed in Fig. 1, including a fitting 17 .having 'a horizontal web 18 equipped with a valve pening'19, a cylinder 21 having -staggere inlet openings 20',

and a piston member 22 adapted to be resiliently forced in upward direction by a spring 23 and to hold a closure member 24 conf sisting of a ball which will cooperate with the valve opening 19', the lower end of the cylinder 21': being closed by a cap 25. Through a packing member 93 in the casing head 94 of the well an operating rod 95 is extended down through the suspension pipe 80, this operating rod 95 conveniently consisting of a string of sucker rods.

`By means of a sleeve coupling 96, a perforated itting 97 connectsa sliding sleeve 98 to the lower end of the operating rod 95. By means of a fitting 99 a secondary production pipe 100 is secured to the lower end of the sleeve 98. The sleeve 98 has a smooth and carefully finished external face and fits with- -in the packing meansV or sleeve 85 situated at the lower end of the suspension pipe 80, and the secondary production pipe 100 extends downwardly into the gas inlet pipe 87,

there being a valve operating stem -102 se# ing t e secon ary production pipe 100, as indicated by arrows 108. The gas then ows upwardly through the secondary production pipe 100, through the sliding sleeve 98, and through diagonal openings 110 of the fitting 97 into the suspension pipe 80 rwhich serves as a production pipe and communicates at its upper end with the outlet pipe 106. When Aa flow of gas has been thus established, the control rod 95 is lowered so as to cause the valve operating stem 102 to engage and force the closure member 24 from the opening 19 of the oil inlet valve 16. This permits oil to ow upwardly into the lower end of the gas inlet pipe 82 to the level of the i'nlet openings 34"of the secondary production pipe 100, where it is entrained 1n the iiow of gas and carried therewith upwardly through the secondary production pipe 100, the sli'ding sleeve 98, the openings in the fitting 97, and the suspension pipe 80, to the outlet pipe 106,' as clearly indicated by a system of dow indicating arrows 112.

By use of the controlling or operating rod 95, the vertically movable parts of the pneumatic pumping device may be raised or lowered so as to operate the ail inlet valve 16 to an extent permitting an inward flow. of oil into the pipe 82 properly proportioned with respect to the quantity and velocity of the gas which is ilowing upwardly through the secondary production pipe 100. The ackilg means or tube 85and the sliding tu provide a seal between the upper interior end of the gas inlet piping 87 and the lower end of-the suspension pipe 80 so that gas cannot flow directly upwardly from lthe gas inlet .openings 88 into the suspension pipe 80, but

substantially the entire portion of the gas' must pass downwardly within the gas inlet pipe 87 to the openings 34 of the secondary production tube 100. A. small leakage through the sealing means formed by the sleeves or tubes 85 and 98 will not impair the operation of the pumping device.

its

The operation of the formof my invention shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 is substantially the same as the form of the invention disclosed in Fig. 1. The principal diference between `l these two forms of the invention is that the upper portion of the production pipe 28 sh'ownn Fig. 1 is replaced by the less expensive suckerl rods formin' the operating rod 95, which 1s made possib e by using the Suss valve ball 24. Vithin the pipe 14 a production pipe 128 extends downwardly to a point near the fitting 17. This production pipe has .a head 129 at its lower end which is substantially the same diameter the interior of the pipe 14 and carries packing means 130 for forming a seal to prevent gas within the annular space 131 above the head 129 from passing downwardly into the space 132 below the head 129. Above the head 129 gas inlet openings 134 are formed in the pipe 128. Extending downwardly from the head is a valve operating stem 133 having a longitudinal passage 135 which extends into a chamber 136 formed within the head, and extending upwardly from the head within the lower end of the' production pipe 1 28 is a tubular injector nozzle 137 having a passage 138 extending axially therethrough. A ball 139 cooperates with a valve seat 140 at the upper end of the passage 135 of the operating stem 133 in a manner to form a downwardly closing check valve.

In the operation of this form of the invention, gas under pressure is fed down-V wardly through the annular space 131 between the gas delivery pipe 14 and the production pipe 128. This gas enters the openings 134, as indicated by arrows 141, and

iiows at high velocity lupwardly within theV production pipe 128 and around the injector nozzle 137, creating within the passage 138 a definite suction which, when the` valve 24 has been opened in response to lowering of the valve operating stem 135, will assist in a flow of oil through openings 143 in the lower end of the hollow valve operating stem 133, as indicated by arrows 144. This entering oil Hows upwardly through'the passage 135, lifts the check valve139, flows through the chamber 136 and through the injector passage 138 to be combined with the upward flow of gas within the .production pipe 128. The check valve 139 prevents any downward movement of gas or oil through the passage 135. A principal utility of the check valve 139 is to preventgas under pressure from the interior of the gas delivery piping 14 from passing downwardly through the flow controlling means 16 and out into the welll where it would act to build up a pressure which would tend to drive the oil back into the formation in which the well is formed. This check valve will operate in event of the following occurrences: Should tlieupward flow through the production pipe 128 be stopped by reason of plugging of the production pipe or by reason of the closing of an outlet valve at the upper end of the production pipe, building up a pressure within the production pipe and within the gas delivery pipe 14 will cause the valve 139 to close, thus preventing gas under pressure from flowing out into the well through the oil inlet valve structure 16, and should the speed of flow of oil from the oil bearing formation into the well be reduced to'such an extent as to reduce the level of the oil within the well and the pressure of gas therein, the excess of gas pressure existing within the gas delivery piping .14 and the production pipe 128 will result in a closing of the check valve 139. In this form of the inventionfthe injector 137 is provided to produce a better intcrmixing action of the oil and gas within the production pipe 128 and the breaking up of the entering flow of oil into fine and evenly divided globules.

Although I have herein shown and de scribed simple and practical embodiments of my invention, it is recognized that certain parts or elements thereof are representative of other parts, elements, or mechanisms which may be employed in substantially the same manner to accomplish substantially the same results; therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but shall have the scope of the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A pneumatic pumping device character described, including: a gas pipe 'adapted t'o form a submerged chamber in a body 0f liquid, said gas pipe having a liquid inlet at the lower end thereof; a stop valve at the lower end of said gas pipe in communication with said liquid inlet, and a slide valve communicatingl with said stop valve, said slide valve having a. vertically slidable closure member; a production pipe extending down into said submerged chamber; a valve operating device on the lower end of said production pipe adapted for Operating said stop valveand said slide valve; and accessible means for vertically moving said production pipe relative to said gas pipe to accomplish a desired operation of said vertically slidable closure member whereby to proportion the flow of liquid into said submerged chamber relative to the flow of gas through said production pipe.

2.-A pneumatic pumping device of the character described including: a gas pipe adapted to form a submerged chamber in a body of liquid, said gas pipe having a liquid inlet at the lower end thereof; a stop valve at the lower end of said gas pipe in communication with said liquid inlet, and a slide valve communicating with'said stop valve,` said slide valve having a vertically slidable closure member; a production pipe extending down into said submergedchamber; a valve operating device on the lower end of said production pipe adapted for operating of the BOPP said stop valve and said slide valve; accessible means for vertically moving said production pipe relative to said gas pipe to accomplish a desired operation of said vertically slidable closure member whereby to proportion the flow of liquid into said submerged chalnber relative to the flow of gas through said production pipe; and means for observing the consistency of the mixture of gas and liquid discharged from said pro- ,duction pipe.

3. A pneumatic pumping device of the character described, including: a gas pipe adapted to form a submerged chamber in a body of liquid, said gas pipe having a liquid inlet at the lower end thereof; a valve cylinder extending downwardly from said gas pipe, having a plurality of liquid inlets therein; a slide member in the form of a piston within said valve cylinder; a closure member carried at the upper end of said piston for closing said inlet of said submerged chamber; a production pipe extending down into said submerged chamber; a valve operating device on the lower end of said production pipe adapted for operating said slide valve; and accessible means for vertically moving said production pipe relative to said gas pipe to accomplish a desired operation of said vertically slidable closure member whereby to proportion the flow of liquid into said submerged chamber relative to the flow of gas through said production pipe.

4. A device as defined in claim 3 in which said valve operating device consists of a stem extending downwardly from said production pipe so as to pass through said inlet of said submerged chamber into engagement with said closure member at the upper end of said piston,

5. A pumping method of the character described, including: forming a closed chamber in a body of oil; extending a production pipe upwardly from said chamber; producing a iow of gas upwardly through said production pipe from said chamber; and then causing oil to enter said chamber from said body to combine with said iiow of gas upwardly through said production pipe,

6. A pumping method of the character described, including: forming a closed chamber in a body of oil; extending a production pipe upwardly from said chamber; producing a flow of gas upwardly through said production pipe from said chamber; and then causing a controlled flow of oil to enter said chamber from said body to combine with said flow of gas upwardly through said production 7. A method of producing oil from a well having a substantially empty tube extending upwardly therein, including: establishing upward flow of gas through said tube; and then admitting oil into said tube to be combined with said flow of gas and carried therewith to the exterior of the well.

' 8. A method of producing oil from a well having a substantially empty tube extending upwardly therein, including: establishing an upward flow of gas through said tube; and then admitting oil into said tube inproportion to the lifting capacity of said flow of gas.

9. A method of producing oil from a well having a substantially empty tube extending upwardly therein, including: establishing an upward How of gas through said tube; causing a pressure to be exerted on the oil in said well; and then admitting oil into said tube to be combined with said flow of gas ancll carried therewith to the exterior of the we l.

10. A method of producing oil from awell having a vsubstantially empty tube extending upwardly therein, including: establishing an upward flow of gas through said tube; causing a pressure to be exerted on the oil in said well; and then admitting oil into said tube in proportion to the lifting capacity of said flow of gas.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 28th day of January, 1930.

JOHN A. ZUBLIN. 

